1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to the formulation and generation of different mood-modifying or therapeutic aromas, and more particularly to a kit which makes it possible for a user to formulate a blend of oils to create an oil charge which when heated and volatilized generates an aromatic vapor having the desired effect.
2. Status of Prior Art
The field of aroma therapy is based on the recognition that fragrances have mood-altering, and, in some instances, therapeutic properties. Thus, depending on the nature of the aroma to which an individual is exposed, he may be repelled, stimulated, depressed, excited or soothed by the aroma.
The olfactory response of most individuals is such that the inhalation of the aroma of chamomile tends to induce sleep, this being preferable to the use of sleeping pills which may have adverse side effects. And the reason many spas and health centers subject individuals being treated to the aroma of eucalyptus is to relieve congestion. In experimental use in space programs are fragrances that act to stimulate astronauts during their tedious hours in space. And the use of incense to create a spiritual environment goes back to the earliest times in history. In many households, aromas are used to mask bathroom and kitchen odors and to create a more pleasing environment.
The aroma of perfumes and perfume-based products such as colognes and toilet waters was originally derived from the essential oil of plants. However, since the early 19th century, chemists have succeeded in analyzing many essential oils and in developing thousands of synthetics, some simulating natural products and others yielding altogether new scents. Perfumes today are largely blends of natural and synthetic scents and of fixatives which equalize vaporization and enhance pungency. In most liquid scents, the ingredients are combined with a highly volatile alcohol carrier.
The leading producers of essential oils from which fragrances are made are the East Indies and the South of France. Turkey is noted for attar of roses, Algeria for geranium oils, Italy for citrus oils, and England for lavender and mint oils.
In my prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,529, entitled "Microwave-Heatable Air-Freshener Package," there is disclosed an air freshener package activated by microwave energy to discharge into the atmosphere an aromatic vapor comparable to that exuded by a potpourri. The package comprises a container formed of thermal insulation material permeable to microwave energy and having a vent therein. Stored in the package is a porous pad impregnated with a liquid fragrance which simulates the aroma of a natural potpourri. When the package is irradiated in a microwave oven, the liquid fragrance is then heated to a level causing it to volatilize to generate an aromatic vapor. This vapor is discharged into the atmosphere through the vent when the package is removed from the oven and placed in a room. The temperature level is substantially maintained for a protracted period by the thermal insulation so that the aromatic vapor suffuses the room.
A natural potpourri which exudes fragrant scents is a mixture of aromatic herbs, dried flowers and spices blended with natural oils. The package disclosed in my prior patent makes use of a liquid fragrance that has been compounded to simulate the aroma of a natural potpourri. However, while the complex and pleasing fragrance emitted by a potpourri is such that it serves to mask unpleasant odors, the user of the package disclosed in my prior patent has no control over the nature of aromatic vapor that is emitted, for this is predetermined by the manufacturer of the package.
The need exists, therefore, for a microwave or otherwise activated aroma generator whose emitted aroma can be selected by the user of the generator so as to carry out a desired mood-modifying or therapeutic action.
It is to be noted that in the 18th Century in Europe, before the production of perfumes was taken over by manufacturers who both made and marketed perfumes, each rich household in Europe usually had a so-called "still room" in which the lady of the house would from a stock of essential oils formulate a perfume that suited her taste. It is rare for an acceptable perfume to make use of a single essential oil, for to be pleasing, a blend of different oils is produced in which the relative proportions of the oils are such as to produce the aroma desired. Hence those ladies who became practiced in blending essential oils, in doing so also developed special perfume recipes and these were usually closely guarded.